Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Bieber’s on the Way Back, Schreck Powered Buffalo, and Bullard Won It for Dunedin

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (May 23-May 25)

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Series vs Syracuse Mets (New York Mets): 2-4
Season Record: 25-26

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats 
Series vs Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 1-4
Season Record: 23-19

High-A Vancouver Canadians
Series vs Spokane (Colorado Rockies): 2-4
Season Record: 18-27

Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Series vs Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins): 4-2
Season Record: 19-26

FCL Blue Jays
Week Record: 3-2
Season Record: 14-3

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

• Season Record: 24-25
• Series vs Syracuse Mets (New York Mets)

May 23: Postponed

May 24, Game 1: It was another doubleheader for Buffalo on Sunday afternoon, and at least the weather cooperated for the teams to get both games in. Grant Rogers was on the mound for the first game, and he would take care of most of the innings for Buffalo. He made it through the fifth, but again pitched mostly to contact. At this point in his career, a contact pitcher is really all he ever will be. He makes it work for most starts, just like he did on Sunday. He allowed three runs, only two earned, while only giving up four hits and one walk. Syracuse got to him in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single, then again in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly. During this game, he threw a heavy dose of sinkers and splitters, which drives the high contact rates against him. Luckily for Buffalo, RJ Schreck was in the lineup, and he really carried the bats. Schreck got the scoring started for Buffalo in the first inning, a missile that shot off the bat at 107.2 mph and went over the right field fence for a solo home run. The blast was Schreck's sixth of the season and went 372 feet. In the third inning, it was Schreck again. This time, it was a three-run home run. With the lead at just one in the sixth inning, Schreck was yet again in the middle of the action for Buffalo. He walked and then came in to score a few batters later on Willie MacIver's sacrifice fly. Je'Von Ward then added another run with an RBI single. In the bottom half of the sixth, Ryan Clifford got ahold of a pitch from Brendan Cellucci to lead off the inning with a solo home run. It was the closest Syracuse would get, as Hayden Juenger came into the game in the ninth and recorded two strikeouts on his way to earning the save. Buffalo won 6-4. 

May 24, Game 2: For Buffalo, the bats decided that their performance in game one of the doubleheader was enough and stayed holstered for the entirety of the second contest. They only recorded two hits, singles from William Simoneit and Ryan McCarty. While the bats played peekaboo, the pitching was locked in. Austin Voth got the start and pitched into the fourth inning. He only surrendered one run, walked none, and gave up just three hits. Brendon Little came into the game in the fifth inning and pitched two perfect frames, six up and six down. Syracuse only had three hits in the game, scoring their lone run in the fourth inning on Ryan Clifford's 10th home run of the season. Buffalo fell 1-0. 

Double-A New Hampshire

• Season Record: 23-19
• Series vs Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies)

May 23: Jackson Wentworth was on the mound for the Saturday game between New Hampshire and Hartford. He pitched well this time around, going five innings, only allowing one run, giving up four hits, and striking out two. New Hampshire took the lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single to center field from Sean Keys, on which Arjun Nimmala and Jace Bohrofen scored. In the top of the second, Dyan Jorge brought in a run for Hartford on a sacrifice fly. That is where the game remained until the ninth inning. Conner Capel launched a game-tying home run to right field. Then, GJ Hill smacked an RBI single to right field, which gave Hartford a one-run lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Jay Harry would knock a single to left field, but he would be stranded on base when Jackson Hornung grounded out to end the game. New Hampshire lost 3-2. 

May 24: Postponed

High-A Vancouver 

• Season Record: 18-27
• Series vs Spokane (Colorado Rockies)

May 23: With the series tied up two apiece, the Canadians had a chance to win the series with two straight wins. Danny Thompson Jr. was once again the starter for Vancouver, but he had a tough third inning, giving up a walk and three hits, which resulted in three earned runs. The Canadians offense tied it up, scoring two runs in the fourth off a Maddox Latta single and a Carter Cunningham sac fly. Then Alexis Hernandez continued his hot hitting, knocking in J.R. Freethy with a double. The game went back and forth as Jay Schueler replaced Thompson, and gave up two solo home runs in the sixth inning, but the Canadians came back with Freethy’s first homer of the year in the seventh and Hernandez's second RBI double of the night. An error from Peyton Williams turned into the third homer given up by Schueler on the night, and Reece Wissinger allowed two doubles, leading to two more runs scoring for Spokane. He then gave up another homer in the eighth inning, which was the fourth homer given up by the bullpen on the night. Down four in the ninth inning, Williams hit a double with no outs, but all Vancouver could do was drive him in with a groundout, spoiling a chance at another comeback victory.

May 24: It was Johnny King day, and it seemed very likely that Vancouver could earn the series split with who was on the mound. Alexis Hernandez is a doubles machine, as he hit his third in two games to give Vancouver an early lead. Things did not go to plan in the bottom of the inning, as King raised his ERA to 2.60, not being able to get out of the first inning and giving up five runs with three walks and four hits. The Canadians slowly clawed their way back, with Hayden Gilliland recording an RBI in the second. A wild pitch made it 5-3 in the third inning, and Gilliland had a solo shot in the fourth inning to make it a one-run lead. J.R. Freethy tied it up in the fifth inning with a double, and then the Canadians took the lead when Spokane’s third baseman threw it away on a grounder to third on a throw to second. Holden Wilkerson came in after Carson Pierce replaced King, and he pitched well, going four innings with four strikeouts, but in the sixth inning, he took the loss as he gave up three hits and two runs, which ultimately became the last runs of the game as the Canadians could not get on base after that. 

Single-A Dunedin

• Season Record: 19-26
• Series vs Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins)

May 23: The Jays’ plundering of independent ball seems to have been paying off, as Jack Nedrow had his third straight great appearance in a row, with his second straight quality start. The offense supported his good start, as they took advantage of some shaky defense. Yorman Licourt got an RBI single in the bottom of the second, then scored in the bottom of the fourth on a dropped third strike. The Jays got their third run of the night on a passed ball, then their fourth unanswered run with an Eric Snow single. Nedrow gave up the first runs of his professional career in the seventh inning with a two-run homer, but Eduar Gonzalez came in and continued pitching well with two scoreless innings. JoJo Parker gave the Jays much-needed insurance with a two-run single in the eighth, which ended up mattering, as in the ninth, Lluveres Severino gave up what would have been the game-tying runs without Parker’s clutch hitting. 

May 24: Jake Bloss looked great in his first game back in Dunedin on a rehab assignment. The righty sat 95.8 mph on his fastball, topping out at 97 mph. He went four strong innings, with his only blemish being a solo shot in the fourth inning. The Jays were able to get a run in on a balk in the first inning, so the game was tied. The Jays' bullpen was solid, as Ramon Suarez kept it tied into the sixth inning. Blaine Bullard then hit a two-run homer, scoring Jake Cook and giving the Jays a two-run lead. Franly Urena gave up a run on an RBI groundout in the eighth inning, but Jack Eshleman got save number six to shut the door and give the Jays another win. 

FCL Blue Jays

• Season Record: 14-3

May 23: Miguel Pantoja was on the mound to begin the Saturday FCL game between the Blue Jays' and Tigers' squads. He again went over four innings, this time 4.1. He gave up three hits, three runs, a walk, and struck out two. The big hit for the Tigers was a home run in the fourth by Cris Rodriguez. It was another good outing from Pantoja, one of the youngest players in Rookie ball. On offense, the top of the order did the damage for the Blue Jays. Angel Guzman tripled in a run in the first inning and would score later himself on an RBI single from Franklin Rojas. Sam White would have a big day, going 3-for-3, with two singles, three RBI, a home run, and a stolen base. His home run in the bottom of the sixth scored two runs and gave the Blue Jays team the lead for good, as they went on to win 5-4. 

May 26: Shane Bieber started the Monday FCL game between the Blue Jays and the Yankees. He went two innings, allowing just three hits, and didn't give up a run. He would strike out three batters and not walk a batter. Seojun Moon came in next, but didn't have a good start in his first game out of the bullpen. After a double and two walks, Moon would allow a run on a wild pitch and two more on an RBI single. He would settle in and almost get through two innings overall. An error would extend the inning, and he finished his day with another walk and a hit-by-pitch. Overall, he seemed to be a bit wild on the day. The Blue Jays team took the lead in the second inning on an Andres Arias home run. In the fifth inning, Brock Tibbitts would cap off a five-run inning with a three-run home run to right field. The Blue Jays team would win again, this time 8-3. 

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